Heavy metal isn’t just a genre—it’s a full-blown lifestyle. It’s loud, theatrical, chaotic, often ridiculous, sometimes profound, and always unforgettable. Honestly? The same can be said for the movies and cartoons it inspires.
From blood-splattered Horror flicks, documentaries to trippy animated cult classics, the world of metal on screen is just as wild and unpredictable as the music itself. Whether you’re in the mood for guitar gods conjuring demons, corpse-paint melodrama, or blast-beat-fueled cartoon mayhem, there’s something here to crank your speakers to 11 for.
I’ve dug through decades of cinematic shred to bring you the ultimate and multipart watchlist: 20 movies and shows that celebrate heavy metal, feature iconic soundtracks, or fully embody the spirit of the scene. Some are legendary. Some are so bad, they rule. All are essential viewing for the true headbanger.
So kill the lights, cue the fog machine, and prepare to witness the most metal moments ever captured on screen.
20. Heavy Metal (1981, dir. Gerald Potterton)
This animated cult classic defined the sci-fi-meets-metal aesthetic for a generation. Fueled by tracks from Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult, and Sammy Hagar, it’s trippy, violent, and totally essential. It also spawned a sequel in the 2000s! Watch here: https://amzn.to/4nmDhNq
19. This Is Spinal Tap (1984, dir. Rob Reiner)
Mockumentary gold. Satirical, yes, but this film hit so close to reality that some bands still flinch when it’s mentioned. Spinal Tap may be fictional, but every touring band knows this is all too real. Spinal Tap Part 2 is filming now, and the OG flick is back in theaters next week!
18. Trick or Treat (1986, dir. Charles Martin Smith)
A teenager resurrects a dead metal star via a cursed record and unleashes hell. Features cameos from Ozzy Osbourne and Gene Simmons, and a soundtrack by Fastway. Pure eighties satanic panic-era fun. https://amzn.to/3ZRuYz9
17. Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare aka The Edge Of Hell (1987, dir. John Fasano)
Jon Mikl Thor fights off rubber-suit demons and cosmic evil with the power of Canadian heavy metal. Utterly bizarre and gloriously DIY. Required viewing for fans of outsider art and lo-fi horror. Oddly the trailer isn’t on YouTube but can be found on IMBD here. Or watch here: https://amzn.to/4k6l0RH
16. Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989, dir. Stephen Herek)
While more rock than metal, this time-traveling duo’s dream of forming Wyld Stallyns helped bring the spirit of guitar-driven rebellion to a whole new generation. Part 3 came after the pandemic and part 4 is in the works. Also, this is a multiverse flick 35 years before Marvel’s MCU films had one! Watch here: https://amzn.to/3HVsHNr
15. Wayne’s World (1992, dir. Penelope Spheeris)
Yeah, it’s goofy, but it captured a generation’s love for hard rock and metal—and introduced Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” to millions. Bonus: Alice Cooper’s cameo is legendary. Watch here: https://amzn.to/40jrHsA
14. Airheads (1994, dir. Michael Lehmann)
The Lone Rangers (Brendan Fraser, Buscemi, and Sandler) hold a radio station hostage to get their demo heard. Features Lemmy as the answer to the most important music trivia question ever. A comedy time capsule with real metal love.
13. Detroit Rock City (1999, dir. Adam Rifkin)
Four teens. One epic journey to see KISS in concert. It’s a raunchy road trip flick that gets teenage fandom, and metal obsession exactly right. Watch here: https://amzn.to/3Gc2V72
12. Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey (2005, dir. Sam Dunn & Scot McFadyen)
Anthropologist and filmmaker Sam Dunn (RUSH, Banger TV) dives into metal’s origins, subgenres, and controversies with legit respect and curiosity. Smart, well-researched, and still the benchmark for metal documentaries.
11. Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (2006, dir. Liam Lynch)
Jack Black and Kyle Gass channel Dio, Satan (in a cameo played by Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters, who also wrote the epic showdown “Beelezeboss!”), and the power of metal mythology in this rock opera of dumb genius. Absurd, but written by true fans of the riff, following their funny as hell HBO show. Watch here: https://amzn.to/4nldCET
10. Metalocalypse (2006–2013, created by Brendon Small & Tommy Blacha)
Metalocalypse’s Dethklok is the most popular band in the world—and also a weapon of mass destruction. Brutal, satirical, and weirdly profound, Metalocalypse skewers the metal industry while fully worshipping it. Watch here: https://amzn.to/44ftnVe
9. Deathgasm (2015, dir. Jason Lei Howden)
New Zealand’s entry into the “metalhead vs. demons” canon. Hilarious, splattery, and gory as hell, with nods to Black Metal, Thrash, and Grindcore. Possibly the most fun you’ll have with chainsaws and corpse paint. Watch here: https://amzn.to/4keLcJP
8. Lords of Chaos (2018, dir. Jonas Åkerlund)
A dramatized account of the early Norwegian black metal scene, Lords of Chaos attempts to reconstruct one of extreme music’s most volatile and infamous chapters. Centering on the early days of Mayhem and the events that followed, the film doesn’t shy away from the violence, internal contradictions, or nihilism that defined the era. While longtime fans may take issue with the film’s historical accuracy—or lack thereof—it succeeds in capturing the suffocating isolation and youthful extremism that birthed second-wave black metal. Props to director Åkerlund, who can at least say he witnessed things firsthand with Bathory.
7. Sound of Metal (2019, dir. Darius Marder)
A powerful and emotional drama about a Punk Rock/Noise drummer who begins to lose his hearing. It’s not about loudness—it’s about identity, silence, and survival. Watch here: https://amzn.to/4kYy4tv
6. Aggretsuko (2018–present, created by Rarecho)
A red panda deals with corporate hell by unleashing her inner beast via Death Metal karaoke. Relatable, cathartic, and a surprisingly smart look at suppressed rage. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8019444/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1
5. Scooby-Doo! and KISS: Rock and Roll Mystery (2015, dir. Spike Brandt & Tony Cervone)
It’s Scooby-Doo meets KISS in a bizarre, psychedelic, glam-metal ghost adventure. For kids? Maybe. For KISS Army lifers? Definitely. Bonus: Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons voice themselves. Watch here: https://amzn.to/4l4DW4L
4. Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996, dir. Mike Judge)
The original metal-loving slackers hit the road in this full-length animated trip across the U.S, following their iconic MTV series (and several reboots and movies). The soundtrack features Rob Zombie, AC/DC, and more. Dumb? Yes. Important? Also yes. Watch here: https://amzn.to/3FXLCXh
3. Brütal Legend (2009, dir. Tim Schafer)
Not a film, but this Jack Black–led video game is pure cinematic heavy metal. Featuring Ozzy, Lemmy, Lita Ford, and Rob Halford, it’s a love letter to the entire genre with a soundtrack to match. Purchase here: https://amzn.to/4kTtwom
2. School of Rock (2003, dir. Richard Linklater)
Jack Black returns, this time as a fake substitute teacher who transforms his class into a real-deal rock band. Jack and the cast begged Led Zeppelin to use their music, and shockingly enough, the band said yes! Equal parts hilarious and inspiring. Watch here: https://amzn.to/3G0puvo
1. The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988, dir. Penelope Spheeris)
The definitive snapshot of L.A.’s glam metal heyday—equal parts hilarious, tragic, and jaw-dropping. Watch Chris Holmes of W.A.S.P. chug vodka in a pool and wonder how anyone survived the eighties. Watch here: https://amzn.to/4kes6DT
OMAR CORDY
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